'Born Sinner' Vs. 'Yeezus' Sales: So Far, J.Cole Outsells Kanye West
The intense competition between J.Cole's album 'Born Sinner' and Kanye West's album 'Yeezus' made summer 2013 exciting, and result is clear.
Both albums hit stores on the same day, Jun. 18, which inevitably split hip hop lovers into two sides, Team J. Cole and Team Yeezy, and stirred up a hip hop feud. After debuting at No. 2, followed by 'Yeezus,' and holding the same place the following week, 'Born Sinner' diligently climbed its way into the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Charts.
Here are the album sales results: J. Cole has sold approximately 599,000 copies to date, while Kanye West sold 537,000 units to date. 'Born Sinner' officially outsells 'Yeezus.'
In an interview with Noisey, J. Cole mentions, "I only get brief moments to appreciate things... I might get a two minute thought of like, 'Wow, you really did sell more than Kanye. You currently have sold more records [of Born Sinner] than Kanye West's album [Yeezus], which came out the same day.' Then I'm back to focusing on what's next."
Despite his evident success, J. Cole is not power-tripping. Rather, he stays humble, and truly cares about hip hop music. In fact, he speaks feeling that he is lacking. He says, "I don't wake up every day like, 'I got a great status in the Rap game," "No, I feel behind. I don't feel like I've done enough" (Noisey).
With his triumph over Kanye West, J. Cole is now more focused than ever. He released the video for his single "Crooked Smile" featuring TLC; he created the whole concept of the video himself. The video is dedicated to 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones, who was shot and killed during a police raid in Detroit, in 2010; Cole wanted to commemorate Aiyana's innocent death.
"I don't live for the accolades," Cole states, "I'm more so about the music. Making it, and putting it out. Those are the two best feelings." The album sales numbers and his accomplishments up until now aren't that important in Cole World. To him, his passion for hip hop is incomparably worthwhile. Hip hop lovers are looking forward to see Cole's next move, and his determination and willingness may turn into even more successful music.